Banas River is located in the state of Rajasthan in northern India. It is also known as "Van ki Asha" meaning "Hope of Forest" in English. Banas is a seasonal river, which often remains dry during summers.

Geography of Banas River
Banas River is approximately 512 km in length. The drainage area of the river is about 45,833 square kilometers, which is entirely in Rajasthan. The river drains the eastern slope of the central portion of Aravalli Range and covers parts of the districts of Ajmer, Bhilwara, Bundi, Chittorgarh, Dausa, Jaipur, Pali, Rajsamand, Sawai Madhopur, Tonk and Udaipur. Nathdwara, Jahanpur and Tonk are the major cities situated on the bank of Banas River.

Course of Banas River
Banas River rises near the Khamnor hills of Aravalli Range, at a distance of about 5 km from Kumbhalgarh in the Rajsamand district and flows through Rajasthan. It flows in the northeasterly direction through the Mewar region of Rajasthan and meets the Chambal River near the village of Rameshwar in Sawai Madhopur district. Banas is a tributary of Chambal River, which in turn flows into the Yamuna River, a tributary of the Ganges.

Tributaries of Banas River
The major right bank tributaries of Banas River are Berach River and Menali River. The left bank tributaries are Kothari River, Khari River, Dai River, Dheel River, Sohadara River, Morel River and Kalisil River.

Dantiwada Dam on Banas River
Dantiwada Dam is located across the West Banas River in the Banaskantha district of Gujarat. The dam was opened on 1965. Its catchment area is about 2862 square kilometers. The primary aim behind building the Dantiwada Dam was flood control and providing water for irrigation projects in the state. The dam is about 61 m high and about 4,832 m long. Its reservoir encompasses about 1,215 hectares of forest land, 810 hectares of wasteland and 2,025 hectares of cultivable land. The catchment area of the reservoir is about 40.47 square kilometers. The dam currently is a prime tourist attraction of the Banaskantha district and pulls hoards of visitors to its scenic surroundings and natural beauty.

Significance of Banas River
Banas River is a source of irrigation. The Bisalpur-Jaipur project associated with Banas River was completed by the Government of Rajasthan in 2009. It provides drinking water from Banas to Jaipur city. Its total catchment area is about 8674 square kilometers, out of which nearly 37.69 percent lies in Rajasthan and the remaining 62.31 percent is in Gujarat.